.As* 

n\7 



Released forMication, Monday, May 28, 1917 
COMMTEE ON PUBLIC INFORMAT. 

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT 

TO THE 

PRESS OF THE UNITED STATES 



"I can imagine no greater disservice to the coun- 
try than to establish a system of censorship that 
would deny to the people of a free Republic like 
our own their indisputable right to criticize their 
own public oflBcials. While exercising the great 
powers of the office I hold, I would regret in a crisis 
like the one through which we are now passing to 
lose the benefit of patriotic and intelligent criticism." 

WooDROw Wilson. 





lY 



.SHINGTON lit: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : t t t 1917 




"The people being with us exclusively the sov- 
ereign, it is indispensable that full information be 
laid before them on all important subjects to enable 
them to exercise that high power with complete 
effect." {From President Monroe's Message, Decem- 
ber 2, 182 J. ) 




^ 






^"^lA 



q\ 



FOE K WORD. 

Belligerent countries are usually at pains to veil in secrecy 
nil operations of censorship. Rules and regulations are issued 
as "private and confidential," each pamphlet is numbered, 
and the recipient held to strict accountability for its safe and 
secret leeping. The Committee on Public Information has 
decided against this policy, and the press is at liberty to give 
full publicity to this communication. It is well to let people 
know just what it is that the committee proposes 'and desires, so 
that there may be the least possible impairment of public confi- 
dence in the printed information presented to it. 

GEORGE CREEL, 
Chairman Committee on Public Injormation. 
(3) 



IS imp/ 

* of th/ 

'or c/ 

•^PRELIMINARY STATEMENT TO THE PRESS. 



To THE Press of the United States: 

The Committee on Public Information, created by Executive order of 
April 14, 1917, desires to lay before the press of the Nation the common 
task imposed upon press and committee alike by the exigencies of war. 
It does this in the full faith that a common understanding of mutual re- 
sponsibilities and duties will assure the cooperation essential to the pa- 
triotic discharge of all obligations, whether implicit or defined. 

Neither in peace nor in a time of national peril can the national welfare 
be wholly secured or completely explained by any statute or order. The 
best defense is an enhghtened and loyal citizenship. The representatives 
of the press are as one with the committee in regarding its great responsi- 
bilities in creating loyalty through enlightenment as being only heightened 
by existing conditions, for war is not entirely a matter of armed force. 
Public opinion is a factor in victory no less than ships and guns, and the 
creation and stimulation of a healthy, ardent national sentiment is this 
kind of fighting that the press can do. The committee feels that it can 
best serve this common purpose by a statement as clear as may now be 
made of the ways in which modern war, and this war in particular, neces- 
sitate readjustments in the gathering and distributing of news. 

Before the Committee on Public Information was established, definite 
steps in this direction had already been taken. At a conference be- 
tween the representatives of State, of War, and of the Navj' on the one part and 
representatives of the press on the other a voluntary agreement was reached 
regarding the censorship of the press during the period of the wax. It is 
possible for the committee to profit by the experience gained in the general 
satisfactory working of this plan. It is already clear that this communica- 
tion will serve a large purpose if it removes needless misapprehensions which 
have led the conscientious many to omit matters freely open to discussion, 
and sweeps away such misrepresentations as have served to shelter tlie 
unscrupulous few. 

(4) 



Bulletins from Time to Time. 

It is impossible to lay down in advance hard-and-fast rules. The experi- 
ence of the press bureaus in belligerent countries in Evirope has shown a 
need for constant amendment. All the European censors are now passing 
for publication news which at first they thought it advisable to stop. It 
will be necessary to issue from time to time new bulletins advising the 
press of the country of changing policy as new conditions arise. 

None of the press bureaus in Europe has functioned without friction. 
None has been entirely successful in attaining its objects. We can not 
expect perfection from ours. All we can hope for is that the Committee on 
Public Information, while working out a satisfactory solution to the problem, 
will avoid the more obvious blunders of others. The staff to be employed 
will naturally be inexperienced in this work, and must acquire skill with 
practice. It will have to face problems one at a time, and work out definite 
rules from experience. 

Every report at our disposal emphasizes the willingness of the press of 
European countries to join with their Governments in the effort to pre- 
vent the use of the newspapers by the enemy. There is the hope and 
belief that the printed word in the United States will equally lend itself 
to the national defense, and that the American press will realize the obliga- 
tions of patriotism as keenly as those who take the oath of service in Army 
and Navy. The policies of the committee will be based upon this assump- 
tion. Cooperation is the vital need, not grudging obedience to resented 
orders, and there will be earnest effort to frame all rules in such a way 
as to appeal to common sense as well as to patriotism. 

We have for our guidance the experience of two and a half years of war. 
We have before us the reports of our mihtary and naval attaches and a 
large number of reports from civilian observers. Some of the Governments 
already at war with Germany have referred to us official and confidential 
documents relating to the routine work of their press bureaus. 

The problem facing the Committee on Public Information is, in most 
respects, different from that of the press bureaus of Europe. The habitual 
peace-time relations between the Government and the newspapers has been 
different in the United States from what it was in any European country. 
Also, from a military point of view, speed in transmission of news is of vital 
importance and military censorship is immensely simplified for us by the 
fact of our distance from the enemy. Even the worst newspaper indiscre- 
tions here will not be so serious in helping the enemy as is the case in 
Europe. French journals can be read by German spies in Switzerland or 



6 

British papers in Holland within 24 hours of publication. It will be 10 days 
at least before our newspapers reach a neutral country in direct communica-' 
tion with Germany. 

It is not all news which we wish to keep from the enemy. Almost all in- 
formation which we regard as "good" would be "bad" news for the enemy 
and would exercise a depressing effect on the morale of their people. We 
wished, for instance, to give the widest possible publicity in Germany to 
the fact that Congress had voted the war-credit bill, including the loan to 
the allies, without a dissenting voice. 

The only news which we wish to keep from the authorities of Berlin is the kind 
which would he of tangible help to them in their military operations. At the 
moment more than half of such news has to do with naval operations, 
including the movements of merchant ships. The remainder is of such 
subjects as coast and harbor defense, new inventions, information confided 
to us by our allies, details of diplomatic proceedings, etc. 

It will be some time before our Army grows to the point where suc- 
cessful censoring on its behalf becomes of vital importance. The staff of 
the committee will have gained much valuable experience before this 
more formidable problem of shielding the Army from undesirable publicity 
becomes pressing. 

The Three Categories of News. 

It will facilitate the work of the committee if a sharp distinction is made 
between three categories of news. 

1. Matters which obviously must not be mentioned in print. 

2. Matters of a doubtful nature which should not be given publicity until 
submitted to and passed by the committee. 

3. Matters which do not affect the conduct of the war, do not concern 
this committee, and are governed only by peace-time laws of libel, defama- 
tion of character, etc. 

Under Category I would fall locality of warships, and mine fields, location 
and description of coast and harbor defenses, or photos giving clues on these 
matters, date and port of sailing of merchant ships, etc. 

Under Category II would come such matters as narrative descriptions 
of units in the Army or Navy or of their operations. We will want many 
such stories published, but they should be first submitted for vise, as it 
is extremely easy to give inadvertent information of great value in such 
narratives. The Kipling stories of the destroyers in the Battle of Jutland 
were very carefully scrutinized by the Admiralty experts before release. 
The committee will strive to meet the wishes of the publishers in this 
o— 17 2 



matter as far as possible, and so to encourage them to submit all doubtful 
items and manuscripts. 

The mass of "copy" will fall under Category III, which can be freely 
published, as it is innocent of any connection with the conduct of the war. 

There is the further problem of preventing the transmission to the enemy 
of information not appearing in the public print. The news most desired 
by the enemy general staff will not be collected from our newspapers, 
but will be gained by high-grade and highly placed spies. This is not a 
matter of unintentional newspaper indiscretions, such as is the prime 
consideration of any press censorship, but of malicious and criminal con- 
spiracy, and comes directly under the jurisdiction of the Department of 
Justice and the Secret Service. 

Despite the greatest care on all hands a certain amount of spy com- 
munication will, in all probability, be maintained. None of the bellig- 
erent countries has been able to eliminate the spy. There has been much 
senseless hysteria abroad in regard to naturalized waiters and nursery 
maids. The really dangerous spies are Mgh officials or officers in high 
command. Damaging information is hard to come by, and, in spite of 
the cleverness of the code makers, hard to communicate. 

Oiir problem in America is (1) to stop the source of such information by 
preventing leaks and (2) to interfere with its transmission. An adequate 
censorship of all outgoing cables has already been established, but self- 
restraint on the part of the newspapers in publishing news deemed danger- 
ous by our military authorities will immensely increase the difficulty of 
spies in collecting the information they desire. A matter may be of com- 
mon knowledge in a New England port, but if it ia not published it will be 
more difficult for an enemy spy on the Mexican border to learn of it. 

Free Flow of News. 

Not content with striving to keep dangerous information from the enemy, 
all the belligerent Governments have tried to keep objectionable news from 
neutral countries. The object of such efforts has been diplomatic rather 
than military. We, in America, have experienced this treatment during 
the period when we were neutral. It would be extremely difficult to prove 
any concrete utility from the attempts to censor news going to neutral na- 
tions. When it is known that news is being ^^ithheld it inevitably arouses 
suspicion that there is something really serious to hide. It is, therefore, 
not the intention of this committee to exercise such a censorship against the 
neutral nations of South and Central America. The free flow of news will 



8 

not be checked, effort being concentrated to prevent the transmission of the 
specific information set forth in these rules and regulations. 

Nearly all the European belligerents ha^^e also tried to prevent the publi- 
cation of news likely to offend their allies or create friction between them. 
The committee is of the opinion that the more full the inter-ally discussion 
of their mutual problems the better. Matters of high strategy, and so forth, 
will of coiu-se have to be kept secret by the war council, but the more the 
people of the allied coimtries get acquainted with each other through their 
newspapers the better. 

If any case arises where one of our papers uses insulting or objectionable 
language against om* comrades in arms it had best be dealt with individually. 
But so far as possible this committee will maintain the rule of fi-ee discussion 
in such matters. 

Regularly accredited correspondents from allied nations will be allowed 
to cable to their papers free from interference by our censors. We can, and 
should, rely on the discretion of their editors. If cases arise of foreign 
correspondents sending to their home papers false, misleading, or inten- 
tionally discourteous dispatches, a word to their ambassadors would cer- 
tainly bring down the necessary reprimand. It will be a great loss of 
prestige to us if we let the feeling get abroad among our alHes that we are 
hiding the truth from them. 

The European press bureaus have also attempted to keep objectionable 
news from their own people. -This must be clearly differentiated from the 
problem of keeping dangerous news from the enemy. It will be necessary 
at times to keep information fi'om our own people in order to keep it from the 
enemy, but rnost of the belligerent countries have gone much further. 

In one of the confidential documents submitted to us there is, under 
Censorship Regulations, a long section with the heading "News likely to 
cause anxiety, dissent, or distress." Among the things forbidden under 
this section are the publication of "reports concerning outbreaks of epi- 
demics in training camps," "newspaper articles tending to raise unduly the 
hopes of the people as to the success " of anticipated military movements. 
This sort of suppression has obviously nothing to do with the keeping of 
objectionable news from the enemy. 

The motive for the estabhshment of this internal censorship is not merely 
fear of petty criticism, but distrust of democratic common sense. The 
officials fear that the people will be stampeded by false news and sensa- 
tional scare stories. 

The danger feared is real, but the experience of Em-ope indicates that 
censorship i-egulations do not solve the problem. A printed story is tangible 



9 

even if false. It can be denied. Its falsity can be proven. It is not 
nearly so dangerous as a false rumor. 

The atmosphere created by common knowledge that news is being sup- 
pressed is an ideal "culture" for the propaganda of the bacteria of enemy 
rumors. This state of mind was the thing wliich most impressed Americans 
visiting belligerent countries. Insane and dangerous rumors, some of 
obvious enemy origin, were readily believed, and they spread with amazing 
rapidity. This is a gi'eater danger than printing scare stories. No one 
knows who starts a rumor, but there is a responsible editor behind every 
printed word. 

No Shield Against Criticism. 

But the greatest objection to such censoring of the news against the home 
population is that it has always tended to create the abuse of shielding from 
public criticism the dishonesty or incompetency of high officials. While 
it certainly has never been the policy of any of the European p"ess bu- 
reaus to accomplish this result, the internal censorship has generally worked 
out this way. And there are several well-established instances where the 
immense power of the censor has fallen into the control of intriguing cliques. 
Nominally striving to protect the public from pernicious ideas, they have 
used the censorship to protect themselves from legitimate criticism. 

In so far as the censorship is felt by the public to be withholding news 
of interest which could do the enemy no good, in so far as the public sus- 
pects that the censorship is being used to fmther personal ambitions or to 
influence internal politics, the objects of this committee will be defeated. 
The field will be left open for the wildest and most disintegrating rumors. 
If it is known that the papers are forbidden to mention outbreaks of epi- 
demics in training camps, every German sympathizer' in this country will 
be whispering stories of cholera, smallpox, and plague, and they will be 
believed. 

While the committee has no intention of instituting such a drastic cen- 
sorship on internal affairs, it is within its province to seek to protect the 
people — and the great mass of reputable editors — from the publication of 
maliciously conceived and clearly false reports. 

Keeping to this one example of possible epidemics in the training camps, 
we can deduce a rule of procedure. Every editor in the country will 
probably have "copy" on this subject submitted to him. While military 
sanitation has been immensely improved of late, more or less serious epi- 
demics have broken out in every army in Europe. In the western armies 
they have been checked with amazing ease. Very few have gotten in any 



10 

way out of hand. In Surgeon General Gorgas, Surgeon General Braisted, 
and Surgeon General Blue we have the three great sanitarians of the world, 
and there is every reason to expect a very high efficiency in the health 
programs of Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. But some sporadic epidemics 
will in all probability break out. 

The committee will not try to suppress information on this subject, but 
to assure accuracy and a proper perspective. We can expect our editors 
to cooperate in this matter and refrain from publishing unverified or exag- 
gerated reports. 

The same general rule can be applied to the publication of falsehood in 
other matters. "Ova special correspondents" are at the moment a serious 
problem. Their dispatches are anonymous and often absurdly and dan- 
gerously false^ This committee believes that it would be to, the public 
good if such dispatches were signed so that the reader would be able to 
distinguish between the honest reports of people who were willing to stand 
for their statements and the alleged "news" which is often sent from the 
Mexican border, for instance, by agencies known by our Secret Service to 
be supported by the enemy. 

The Responsibility of Editors. 

The work of the committee will be rendered more easy and more effective 
if it is clearly understood that there is neither aim nor inclination to inter- 
fere with expressions of opinion or criticism of policies or persons. It is 
suggested, however, and urged as an obligation of patriotism, that the vicious 
and abusive be avoided in opinion, and that criticism shall be specific and 
of a constructive character. Reckless journalism, regrettable enough in 
+imes of peace, is a positive menace when the Nation is at war. Victory 
rests upon unity and confidence, and those who imperil national solidarity 
by attack upon men and measm'es should be at infinite pains to establish 
their facts and to test their motives. In this day of high emotionalism and 
mental confusion, the printed word has immeasurable power, and the term' 
traitor is not too harsh in application to the pubUsher, editor, or writer 
who wields this power without full and even solemn recognition of respon- 
sibilities. 

It is not alone the people of the United States who are on trial, but the 
press of the United States as well. 

98832°— 17 i 



REGULATIONS FOR THE PERIODICAL PRESS OF THE 
UNITED STATES DURING THE WAR. 



Section I.— DANGEROUS MATTER. 

In order to prevent the uBe of our press by the enemy it is necessary to 
avoid the publication of news items or articles which will interfere with our 
plans of campaign or render more easy the work of hostile spies. The sup- 
pression of all news matter which is obviously likely to be of direct utility 
to the enemy is urged and expected. Such matter is indicated specifically 
as follows: 

A.— GENERAL. 

1 . News regarding naval and military operations in progress, except that 
officially given out. 

2. News of the train or boat schedules of traveling official missions in 
transit through the United States. It is the duty of hospitality to surroimd 
distinguished foreigners with every protection. 

3. Threats or plots against the life of the President or other high officials 
unless announced from authoritative sources. In such times of tension 
unbalanced minds are especially susceptible to suggestion, and all accounts 
of such crimes and trials growing out of them are likely to influence weak 
minds and incite to criminal acts. When arrests are made this specific 
charge should be minimized by mere mention as "disorderly conduct." 

4. News relating to the activity of the secret police. Their work in pro- 
tecting the country from the enemy's agents in our midst is handicapped by 
publicity. 

5. News of possible or observed movements of alien labor through the 
territory of the United States or their arrival at or embarkation from any of 
our ports. 

B.—NAVAL. 

News relating to the naval operations, as follows: 

1. The locality, number, or identity of warships belonging to our own 
Navy or to the navies of any country at war with Germany. 

2. Secret notices issued to mariners or other confidential instructions 
issued by the Navy or the Department of Commerce relating to lights, 
lightships, buoys, or other guides to navigation. 

(11) 



12 

3. All information concerning the departure of merchant ships from our 
porta. 

4. All information indicating the port of arrival of incoming ships, or 
after their arrival indicating, or hinting at, the port at which the ship 
arrived. These rules apply with equal force to information indicating 
ports from which they sailed. It is suggested that arrivals of merchant 
vessels may be published under a general heading similar to the following: 

"Arrivals^ of vessels. — At Atlantic ports: Suffolk, Neptune. At Pacific 
porta: ManJcato." 

5. Details as to convoys and as to the sighting of friendly or enemy ships 
whether naval or merchant. 

6. Information concerning the laying of mines or mine fields by our own 
authorities or by the authorities of any nation at war with Germany. 

7. Information regarding signals, orders, or wireless messages to or from 
war vessels. 

8. Information regarding operations by or against submarines. In re- 
spect to unverified reports of submarine victories or submarine disasters, 
the committee goes no further than to urge restraint and to request that the 
greatest care be taken to avoid confusion between mere rumor and ofiicial 
announcements. 

9. Information relating to dry docks and to all classes of work, repairs, 
alterations, or construction performed in connection therewith. 

C— MILITARY. 

1. News of possible or observed movements of Canadian troops through 
the territory of the United States or their arrival at or embarkation from any 
of our ports. 

2. Information regarding the fixed land defenses of the United States, 
their very existence, as well as the number, nature, or position of their 
guns should not be mentioned. 

3. Information in regard to the train or boat movements of troops is at 
all times and under all circumstances dangerous during a war and should 
be scrupulously avoided. 

4. Specific information regarding the duties of small detachments should 
be avoided as dangerous and laying them open to attack. 

5. Information regarding the assembling of military forces at seaports 
from which inference might be made of any intention to embark them for 
service abroad. 

6. Information regarding the aircraft and appurtenances used at Govern- 
ment aviation schools and tried out in experimental teats under military 
authority. 



13 

Publisliers, editors, and reporters alike are urged to give such careful 
attention to ithe paragraphs of section I as will enable them at once to dis- 
tinguish the news which for military and naval reasons it is desirable to 
withhold from publication. Indiscretions in some cases may prove harm- 
less, but in other cases they may gravely embarrass the conduct of the war 
and result in needless loss of life. 

EXPLANATION. 

For the elucidation of the above section the following notes have been 
submitted by the Departments of State, War, and the Navy: 

The Department of State considers it dangerous and of service to the 
enemy to discuss differences of opinion between the allies and difficulties 
with neutral countries. 

The protection of information belonging to friendly countries is most 
important. Submarine warfare news is a case in point. England permits 
this Government to have full information, but as it is England's policy not 
to publish details this Government must support that policy. 

Speculation about possible peace is another topic which may possess 
elements of danger, as peace reports may be of enemy origin, put out to 
weaken the combination against Germany. 

Generally speaking, articles likely to prove offensive to any of the allies 
or to neutrals would be undesirable. 

The Department of War points out that trains and ships transporting 
troops are inviting objects of attack for individual enemies or enemy sympa- 
thizers. One person armed with high explosives may cause great loss of 
life under such circumstances and therefore any publication in the daily 
press giving advance notice of the movements of troops may supply the 
enemy with information of the highest military value. 

There is no objection to the publication of news regarding the location of 
Army posts, militia, or training camps, but already a number of isolated 
attacks have been made on sentries and small pickets with some loss of life. 
While it may be safe to print "the Seventh Regiment has gone to the State 
capitol on guard duty," it is dangerous to say "the Seventh Regiment is 
guarding a particular aqueduct or bridge . " 

With regard to the prohibition concerning aircraft and experimental 
tests, it is pointed out that while many of the machines used in this work 
are of standard types, every detail of which is commonly known, others 
are not, and it is to preserve the secrets embodied in the latter that a gen- 
eral policy of silence is requested. While secrecy as to aircraft is con- 
sidered necessary, publicity as to the activities of the aviation schools, 



14 

the enl-oUment of men for this particular service, etc., is considered 
useful . 

The Department of the Navy urges that no accounts shall be printed of 
active naval operations, successes or mishaps, until after they are officially 
announced. Such announcement will be made as soon as accurate reports 
are at hand. Editors and publishers are asked to save the public from the 
unnecessary distress of false rumors. The Department of the Navy does 
not wish to hold back information but to assure the public of correct infor- 
mation. 

Special care is urged upon newspapers in regard to the regukxtions con- 
cerning harbors and merchant shipping. Inadvertently one of the New 
York papers published information as to the location of the nets guarding 
the harbor. 

The tact that merchant ships have arrived is news of such importance 
that it is desirable not to suppress it. But it is of greater importance not 
to publish nor even to liint at the particular port of arrival, for it may at 
any time be necessary to shift shipping from one port to another, and it 
is desirable to keep information of such shifts of base from the enemy 
submarines. 

Statements from survivors of merchant ships or transports which have 
been attacked or sunk by enemy shell fire, or by submarines, or have been 
damaged or sunk by mines, should not be published until the statements 
have been referred to and passed by the Committee. The judicial murder 
of Captain Fryatt of the Wrexham will give point to this advice. Editors 
will appreciate the importance of cooperating to withhold from the enemy 
such information as might expose the officers and men of merchant ships 
to the danger of cruel and outrageous reprisal. 

Section II.— QUESTIONABLE MATTER. 

There are many otlaer news items vhich, while not bo obviously dangerous 
as those listed in Section I, may be dangerous. In all cases of doubt, 
editors are requested to seek advice of the Committee on Public Informar 
tion. The following are some examples of such doubtful news: 

1. Narrative accounts of naval or military operations, including descrip- 
tions of life in training camps. While it is desirable that the public should 
be kept interested in these subjects, there is always a chance that a reporter, 
narrating facts, may unconsciously mention something which the militai-y 
authorities particularly desire to keep from the enemy; all such articles 
should be submitted to the Committee on Public Information. 



15 

2. Technical inventions. It is desired that the subject of possible new 
military inventions should be kept before the public, but great care should 
be exercised in publishing any definite statements as to experiments oi 
accepted inventions. 

It is of peculiar importance that all Government experiments in war 
material should be veiled in absolute secrecy. This request has particular 
application to the search for means to combat the submarine. Therefore 
all articles and news stories along these lines should be submitted for vise. 
The name of every well-known inventor is connected with a single kind 
of work and may not be mentioned without conveying to the enemy a hint 
as tp the nature of the invention upon which he is working. 

An instance of the menace of the specific mention of the work of an 
inventor was afforded by the result of the publication of a newspaper 
story that the well-known inventor in question had discovered a "U-boat 
killer." The story was followed the next day, quite naturally, by another 
story that police protection against German agents had been immediately 
required to guard both the man and the works where the experiments 
were supposed to be conducted. That the report of the invention had 
been promptly denied did not lessen the peril to life and property caused 
by this piece of editorial inadvertence. 

3.' Many sensational and disturbing rumors will be brought to the atten- 
tion of newspaper men. It is to be desired that they should not be given 
publicity until they have been most carefully verified ; for example, sporadic 
epidemics may break out in some of our training camps. It would be most 
unpatriotic to give credence to exaggerated accounts of such inevitable 
mishaps. Editors are requested to submit information which they may 
receive on such subjects to the committee for verification. Daily reports 
from the chief sanitary officers will be available. And this committee 
will arrange to have parties of newspaper men and reputable doctors sent 
to camps where sickness occurs to check up these reports. 

The above list is by no means exhaustive and is intended only to indi- 
cate the type of subject matter which should be submitted for censorship. 

Section III.— PRACTICE AND ROUTINE. 

When news is plainly of a dangerous character, whether specifically 
prohibited by these regulations or not, editors are expected to stop it them- 
selves. When there is the least doubt as to the admissibility of news, 
editors are asked to communicate with the Committee on Public Informa- 
tion at Washington. 



16 

1. When newspaper men and publishers who have any doubt as to the 
desirability of publishing any item of news, or newspaper article, or illus- 
tration, submit such item to the committee; the matter, if admissible, will 
be marked "Passed by the Committee on Public Information." 

The submission in such cases is voluntary; but it should be borne in mind 
that those who publish without submission to the committee do so on their 
own responsibilities and are subject to any penalties that may be provided 
by law. 

2. Any "copy" or proofs submitted will "be passed upon with the least 
possible delay, as the committee has organized for quick decisions. In 
some cases, however, delays will be unavoidable, owing to the necessity of . 
referring to other Government departments questions on which inquiries 
may have to be made. 

3. The Committee on Public Information will release copy for publication 
under two stamps. "Passed by the Committee on Public Information" 
and "Authorized by the Committee on Public Information." 

The stamp " Passed by the Committee on Public Information" on an item 
of unofficial news must not be taken as a certificate of its accuracy. Such 
stamp merely implies that the publication of the item passed is not con- 
sidered dangerous by the military authorities. 

The stamp "Authorized by the Committee on Public Information" 
means that the item has been carefully investigated and is authorized as 

official. 

Occasionally items of news or articles may be investigated and "author- 
ized" by the committee. 

4. Editors will contribute to the effectiveness of the committee's work 
and help to secure uniformity of practice and equality of treatment, if they 
will promptly and confidentially notify the Committee on Public Informa- 
tion of any breaches of these regulations brought to their attention and for- 
ward to it marked copies of any newspapers or other publications which it 
might be useful for it to consider; such comrnunications will be treated as 
strictly confidential. 

5. Editors may render useful service by notifying the Committee on 
Public Information of all the circumstances connected with the submission 
to them of matter which they voluntarily reject as dangerous to the public 
interests. If generally followed, this practice will be extremely useful in 
assisting the Secret Ser\dce to detect agents of the enemy in our midst. 

6. Newspapers will be expected to devote their vigilance particularly 
toward news of local origin. Because dangerous news is generally known 
locally it does not follow that it can be safely published. Publication in 
local newspapers of information well known to the people of that locality 



17 

might give the agents of the enemy the advantage of a few hours' notice to 
enable them to wreck a troop train or sinlc a transport. Minutes count in 
naval and military operations. This warning is particularly addressed to 
the seaboard coijimunities. Papers published in ports should, with special, 
care, refrain from giving information to enemy agents in regard to ships 
calling at such ports. 

Nonpublication of such information obliges the enemy to rely on spies 
actually in the localities concerned, and he would thus incur additional 
expense and expose his spies to increased danger of apprehension. 

7. All messages received from abroad by cable or wireless are censored at 
the point of dispatch or receipt and are free for publication, unless some 
especial circumstance arouses the suspicion of the editor. 

8. The attention of all editors, publishers, and newspaper men is called 
to the Official Bulletin issued daily by this committee. It contains the 
official news of the Government, and changes in these regulations will be 
published in it. 

9. From time to time, if the occasion arises, confidential bulletins will be 
issued to the press to acquaint them with subjects to which public reference 
is considered especially dangerous at the moment by the Government. 
Such bulletins will have the same force and effect as the regulations here- 
with submitted. 

10. All advertising "copy" should be carefully scrutinized to prevent 
the insertion of objectionable matter. The experience of Britain and Can- 
ada show that enemy agents have used, with great frequency, the adver- 
tising columns as a means of intercommunication. The same is true of 
paid notices in the society columns. 

11. Publishers and editors are requested to bear in mind that much infor- 
mation endangering the national interests and of a nature to be useful to 
the enemy may be conveyed not only in writing, but by maps, charts, pho- 
tographs, pictures, etc. 

12. Communications and inquiries on points arising under the practice of 
these regulations should be addressed to the "Division of Vise, Committee 
of Public Information, 10 Jackson Place, Washington, D. C." 

Manuscripts or proofs sent by mail need not be accompanied by return 
postage. 



THE COMMITTEE'S POSITIVE FUNCTIONS. 

The Committee on Public Information was given its name in no spiri* 
of subterfuge, but as an honest announcement of purpose. There is the 
conviction tliat its negative function — censorship — will be increasingly sub- 
ordinated to the positive function — information. 

This hope must not be construed as intent to supplant or to duplicate 
in any way existing machinery for news gathering. Nor must it be supposed 
that the committee seeks to establish a press agency for the presentation 
of "colored" matter in connection with policies or persons. 

The one effort will be to open up the business of Government, as far as 
may be proper and possible, to the inspection of the people. Channels of 
information will be cleared of deadwood, permitting a freer and more con- 
tinuous flow, and in every sane, prudent manner officials of Government 
will be induced to give fullest recognition to the truth that public support 
is largely a matter of public understanding. 

Editors, reporters, special writers, authors, photographers, and motion- 
picture producers alike are urged to avail themselves of the services of the 
committee in connection with their activities. The object of this organiza- 
tion is not to manufacture newa, or to prepare it, but to make all information 
accessible. 

Many misunderstandings have arisen with regard to the Official Bulletin. 
This is not a newspaper in the accepted sense of the word. Its single pur- 
pose is to assure the full and legal printing of the official announcements of 
Government heads in connection with governmental business. 

Exclusive publication is not its thought or ambition. It will not inter- 
fere with the legitimate functions of the press in any manner, nor will 
official news be delayed or withheld in order to give the Bulletin any special 

news significance. 

(18) 



/ 



/ 
/ 



EXECUTIVE ORDER. 

I hereby create a Committee on Public Information, to be composed of 
the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, 
and a civilian who shall be charged with the executi^-e direction of the 
committee. 

As civilian chairman of the committee, I appoint Mr. George Creel. 

The Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of the 
Navy are authorized each to detail an officer or officers to the work of the 
committee. 

WooDROW Wilson. 

April 14, 1917. 



LETTER TO PRESIDENT. 

The President's action in creating the Committee on Public Information 
was based on the following letter signed by the -Secretaries of State, War, 
and Navy: 

April 13, 1917. 

Dear Mr. President: Even though the cooperation of the press has 
been generous and patriotic, there is a steadily developing need for some 
authoritative agency to assure the publication of all the vital facts of 
national defense. Premature or ill-advised announcements of policies, 
plans, and specific activities, whether innocent or otherwise, would con- 
stitute a source of danger. 

While there is much that is properly secret in connection with the 
departments of the Go\-'n-nment, the total is small compared to the vast 
amount of information that it is right and proper for the jjeople to have. 

America's great present needs are confidence, enthusia.sm, and sej'vice, 
and these needs will not be met completely unless every citizen is given 
the feeling of partnership that comes with full, frank statements concerning 
the conduct of the public business. 

It is our opinion that the two functions — -censorship and publicity — can 
be joined in honesty and with profit, and we recommend the creation of 
a Committee of PubUc Information. The chairman should be a civilian, 
psrferably some writer of proved courage, ability, and vision, able to gain 
the understanding cooperation of the press and at the same time rally the 
authors of the country to a. work of service. Others member should be the 
Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, the Secretarj^ of the Navy, or an 
officer or officers detailed to the work by them. 

We believe you have the undoubted authority to create this Committee 
on Public Information without waiting for further legislation, and because 

(19) 



20 

of the importance of the task and its pressing necessity, we trust that you 
•will see fit to do so. 

The committee, upon appointment, can proceed to the framing of regu- 
lations and the creation of machinery that will safeguard all information 
of value to an enemy and at the same time open every department of 
Government to the inspection of the people as far as possible. Such 
r^ulations and such machinery will, of coiu-se, be submitted for your 
approval before becoming effective. 
Respectfully, 

Robert Lansing. 

Newton D. Baker. 

JosEPHUS Daniels. 

o 



^ CONGR^** 




00023336^^6 ^\ 



